Conventional electrical systems for automobiles employing internal combustion engines, generally include one electrical machine (cranking motor) operated as a motor for cranking the engine during starting, and a separate electrical machine (generator/alternator) for generating electricity during operation of the engine.
Over the years, various arrangements have been proposed for performing both starting and generating functions with a single electrical machine, but such arrangements generally suffer from compromised performance or greatly increased complexity, as compared to the systems they replace. Moreover, such arrangements typically do not address the problem of load voltage variation.